Bewitched is an anthology comprising of the following:

Saving Sirena by Susan Krinard
Everything She Does is Magick by Maggie Shayne
To Mend a Spell by Lisa Higdon
A Spell of Mist and Roses by Amy Elizabeth Saunders
 
 

Saving Sirena is the story of a witch who misuses her powers on men and is punished by being transformed into an ill-tempered cat.  In order to become her immortal self again she must be rescued by a man and taken into his home.

Her only friend, although she is not aware of the fact while in feline form is a mouse who pleads her case with the Council.

Jack Danner is a lawyer whose first case was sabotaged by a woman.  He understandably does not anytning more to do with any woman.  When he rescues a cat from the rain he is not prepared for the moggy to turn into the seductive witch determined to stay with him and grant his every desire.

Once back in human form Sirena settles herself into Jack's home and begins her seduction of him, weaving one spell after another in her attempt to win his love.  The only spell she does not cast is the one she was punished for in the first place, but can she win his love without it, or will she risk herself again by misusing her powers.

A touching story that ties everything up nicely at the end.
 
 

While the names of the witches in this story are rather familiar it was a relief to find that this story was not an adaption of Sleeping Beauty.  The three aunts, Flora, Fauna and Merriweather have raised their great neice Aurora since her mother had left her in their care when she was a few days old.

Aurora's mother had denied her magical powers but with the guidance of her aunts Aurora was destined to learn the art of healing and go into the medical profession.  However it was her child who was destined to be the most powerful witch in the family and it was the job of her aunts to make sure that the father of this child was "pure" when the time came for him to father the child.

The aunts picked out Nathan McBride from the time that Aurora was born and set about keeping Nathan a virgin for as long as was needed.

Aurora was kept in the dark about all these plans, as was Nathan.  And although they were close neighbours the two children never became close friends.  The prologue to this short story covers the early years of their lives very well, touching on the turning points and charting the course their lives would take.

It is not until many years later that Aurora and Nathan's paths cross again.

Aurora has fulfilled her dream of working as a doctor, and when Nathan's date runs him down with the car, (with a little help from Aurora's aunts), Aurora finds her old neighbour in her emergency room.

The stage is now set for Aurora and Nathan to get together, but the past is not easily forgotten and Nathan is convinced he is cursed.  It is up to the three meddling witches to get the young lovers together before it is too late.

A very amusing story, with most of the humour arising from the frustrated Nathan who is determined to "get laid" despite being cursed.  Great fun despite the Sleeping Beauty names, which I really didn't see the point of.
 
 

Laura Stuart is a seamstress in her grandmother's shop and is not a witch, nor is any of her family.

Looked down on by others in the town Laura has always felt apart from the other girls her own age.  She spends her time working in the dress shop and running errands.

It is one of these errands that leads her to the town docks to collect some fabric for her grandmother.  She is dismayed to find that the ship the fabric was on was attacked by pirates and the captain of the vessel is arrogant and rude.

In her determination to stop him walking away she accidently tears his coat, which he demands she repairs for him.  Laura repairs the sleeve for him and in the process recites a silly rhyme adapted from a book of spells she found hidden in the attic.  Little does Laura realise that in muttering the words she puts a curse on the captain, whose luck was already gone.

Soon news of a lost ship reaches the captain and Laura is horrified that she has appeared to have caused the deaths of so many with her careless words.

There follows a delightful tale as Laura tries to retrieve the mended coat from the captain who begins to take an interest in the little seamstress.

But Laura is convinced that his love for her is merely the workings of another spell and increases her efforts to break the spells.

This is an interesting story but did end rather abruptly.  I felt that there should have been a little more to the ending.  However the story is worth reading if only for the scene where Laura thinks she has turned the captain into a goat.  Definitely the highlight of the story.
 
 

The final story in this anthology is set in the time of Henry VIII where one of his closest friends pays the price for refusing to sign the document that will grant him a divorce.

Christopher (Kit) Radbourne finds himself in exile when he refuses to obey his king.  Stripped of almost all of  his lands and titles he finds himself homeless except for a cursed castle in the wilds of the north.

Deserted by his servants and unable to get workers from the nearby village Kit finds out that it is the local witch who is causing his problems.   His estate at Farwindale was formerly the property of the ancestors of the witch and until the property is returned to her family everyone who lives in the ill-gained property is cursed.

Arrogant and pompous, Kit is determined to use his superior intellect to outwit the witch.  It comes as a shock to him to find that the old hag he was expecting was in fact a beautiful young woman with intelligence of her own, intelligence that she uses to play him at his own game.

Together, Kit and Isabelle must devise a plan to ensure that Kit can live on his estate and Isabelle retain her status as witch.

A nice little story that reads as a legend at the end.  Quite touching and slightly different to the others in this anthology in that this witch does not believe that she is one.

OVERALL RATING : 
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Also by Susan Krinard :  Twice a Hero, Star-Crossed, Body & Soul, Prince of Dreams, Prince of Shadows, Touch of the Wolf, Once a Wolf, Secret of the Wolf and Prince of Wolves.
Read an Interview with Susan Krinard.
Visit Susan Krinard's website
 

Also by Maggie Shayne :  Eternity, Infinity, Destiny and Immortality
Visit Maggie Shayne's  website
 

Also by Amy Elizabeth Saunders :  Enchanted Time